HollowZero

HollowZero is set in a world that claims to protect its children. Cities are organized. Academies train the gifted. Kyo, a supernatural force tied to identity and power, decides who is worth investing in and who is disposable. Those with strong Kyo are scouted early, pushed into combat programs, and praised as the future. Those without it are expected to accept their place quietly. Taru Toshio has no Kyo. He survives by being observant, careful, and forgettable. That stops working once he starts noticing what everyone else ignores. Missing students written off as transfers. Underground markets that trade gifted children under the excuse of “talent development.” Combat trials that reward cruelty while calling it discipline. Authorities who know exactly what’s happening and choose not to interfere because the system produces results. The deeper Taru is dragged into Kyo trials, criminal networks, and institutional politics, the clearer it becomes that this world isn’t failing. It’s functioning exactly as intended. Violence is regulated. Exploitation is normalized. Injustice is routine. Then Kyo begins reacting to Taru in ways it shouldn’t. As buried history resurfaces and long-suppressed truths leak through the cracks, Taru is forced to confront what this world was built on, and what it is willing to sacrifice to stay standing.